The Assignment
by Michiko-Sakura
Summary: detailed version of S.T.A.R. every one gave up on Hitomi except Van. amidst all the hardship and horror, Van and Hitomi stood up against the odds together, believing in each other, truth concealed in the assignment
1. Writer's Block

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from The Vision of Escaflowne. I do own, however, this storyline. Additional characters and their names are purely fictional and if there had been some real-life faces to their names, please believe me that it is purely coincidental.**_

**A/N: Ok this is my third/ fourth 'Vision of Escaflowne' fan fiction. This is the detailed version of my story, S.T.A.R. I don't know yet how many chapters I'll be dividing that story into but it has the same storyline, only longer and with greater detail. It will have the same writing style of course and be prepared with sudden twists and turns (if there are any or well hehe just saying). Well this is it. I hope those who read S.T.A.R will also read this and enjoy. Don't hold back on the reviews. Thanks!**

**Michiko**

The Assignment

Chapter 1 Writer's Block

It was already two in the morning. The computer screen registered nothing. The stylus was blinking. Hitomi would type but would quickly delete it. Nothing. It was getting her nowhere and it troubled her. How could it be that hard to write? She got up and paced her room, looking now and then at the blank page on the computer screen. Suddenly an idea came. It was a long shot and she knew that a part of her might regret it later on but it was better than nothing.

_Hi! My name is Hitomi Kanzaki. I am sixteen years old. Yeah. I am in second year of high school right now. This is an assignment for class. We are tasked to write a story. Honestly, I'm not a very good writer. My ideas sometimes turn out pretty lame. Although I have tons of ideas, there are a lot of things that are better left untouched or hidden for now. But since this is a no-negotiation type of thing, I guess I have no choice but to write. So where to start? I've already introduced myself so I guess I can take it from there. _

_I'm just an ordinary teenager trying to survive high school and all that teen drama. But you know, I am a little different from the people around me. You see, I have this 'gift'. I can be a clairvoyant at times. I can tell people's fortunes at utmost accuracy at times. Because of this, it can get really lonely sometimes. People can be pretty cruel to someone like me. That's why I don't like to talk about it much. I don't even dare to use it…it just happens sometimes. But not all people are mean to me. I do have friends. But I guess you can say that this world does not believe in magic anymore and condemns those who receive a little more something. Or maybe because I came from the province away from the busy and modern world like the one in Tokyo…there are a lot of mysticisms that goes on behind closed doors. So I guess I can understand why they would hate my existence in a way. Don't get me wrong though. I don't hate the people in my home village. I could never do that. They will always hold a special place in my heart. Even if there were some who were really awful, there were also a lot of people (like I said) who were really, simply wonderful. With that, I can never look down or be ashamed at my past. I welcome it with open arms as I welcome the present and the future._

_I keep everything I can do in terms of that 'gift' hidden. No one in my new school knows. All but one person knows. Don't worry. He doesn't go around blabbering about it. No. As a matter of fact, he is such a gentleman. He covers for me at times when I get caught up in that mystical thing. He's such a sweet guy, a trusted friend, a wonderful confidant, he's name is Van Fanel. We have been friends for a very long time. I can tell him almost anything that I can't tell my other friends, things that I can't even tell my best friend, Yukari Uchida. Right now, she is studying abroad because of her dad's work but she said that she'll be back next school year. So right now, all I have is Van. Anyway, I'm not complaining. That's the farthest from my mind. I love Van with all my heart. So it was inevitable I guess that we developed feelings for each other. He showers me with nothing but love and great understanding so why would I complain? blush_

_Right now, since I know it cannot be hidden forever, my new schoolmates just know that I fool around with tarot cards. Actually I like the people in my new school. They seem not to judge me as being a 'witch' or of the sort but just me, Hitomi, the one who plays with tarot cards and guess into the future. Basically that's who I am really. It's not my fault that there are times that my predictions and visions can be accurate. I've noticed that that only happens when something really bad is supposed to happen. Why it never tells me the best news to the people, I will never really know._

_Oh by the way, I joined the school's tract team. I guess it's my outlet in a way. I get to go places when we compete, not to mention meet a lot of people. blush I even met Amano Susumu. He's an upper classman who was also part of the tract team during my freshman year. I find him really cute but I would never admit to that in front of him. He's really awesome. He's a great athlete, not to mention an ace student. A lot of people admired Amano-sempai (I was and perhaps still in a way one of them). But then, I only had one year (if ever I have the guts of telling him how I felt or at least thought). I guess I left that to fate. I won't do any tarot readings on that. I vowed that I wouldn't use the tarot cards or try to see into the future unless I really need to, like when someone is determined to have their fortunate guessed or if I really can't help it and it comes to me. I don't use my gift. When it comes I allow it but I don't call upon it._

_As it turned out, things were far greater than I would have expected. Van and I became really close (we were already really close but I guess you can say that we had learned to open our hearts to each other). We eventually decided to take a leap to the next level. It has been like heaven since then. We fight and stuff but it only makes us stronger, stronger individuals, stronger couple. blushes profusely… _

_Anyway, enough of that…my whole life story isn't the reason why I have agreed to do this. I wanted you to know how I got this far. Maybe to help you realize that there is always hope when you believe. Even if you don't but others around you do, you might just be surprised on what can happen. _

_It was two years ago. It was my last year in junior high. We were all preparing to enter high school. I wasn't in Tokyo then. I was back home, back in our village. It's a small village about 8 hours from Tokyo by bus. It was a laid back community where old beliefs are still felt. All the town's folks know one another. _

_My family was well known because we decent from the Mystic Moon. Yes. I know how it sounds. Like I said, there are a lot of mysticisms that happen behind closed doors. Our family served as guardians to the town, guardians of the spirits of nature and everything there. You can say that our family served as the protectors of the balance. _

_Ok, let me elaborate on that because you know it can get pretty confusing if you don't know how it all started out. Who knows maybe you might even relate to it, especially if you didn't really grow up in Tokyo? Anyway…moving on…_

_A few generations ago, the village was overrun with opposing forces. If it were simply benevolent entities, there wouldn't be a problem. But that is just some wishful thinking. Malevolent ones rampage the town and do things to the people that have become unspeakable. There are a lot of rumors back then on what they were and I can tell you that none of them is pleasant. _

_One story goes that once day light says goodbye to the land, evil spirits would roam and take form of the people's dead relatives. They would come to those who had just lost a loved one. Vulnerable and in grief, people would be tempted to let them inside the house. Once the spirits gain access, all hell breaks loose. The next morning, what will be left of the person or family living in that house would be mere bodies. Eyes wide open, white. With a screaming expression or something of fear. They would be proclaimed dead by fear. _

_Another popular folk lore was that when day turns to night, the spirits would take form of humans. They would change themselves to beautiful damsels or in distress elderly people. They would gain the people's trust and once they have entered the home, they will change back into horrid creatures and commit massacres. The people living there will have their screams and cries muffled by the demons powers. They would be killed slowly. Some they say were skinned alive. Others beheaded. Still others, had their bodies eaten. All that was for certain was that they would die a cruel and painful death._

_We never talk about it openly because of its gruesome nature. There was also this fear that if you play with the spirits, they would come and get you back. Stories were only told to frighten young children as so that they wouldn't think to doing mischievous things at night when no one was watching. I guess that's why the village has a very low crime rate. Although people find themselves capable of going out at night now, basically because they believe that the village is under the protection of the people of the Mystic Moon._

_It all started according to my grandmother during the night when all spirits are said to come back to earth and visit their living relatives. Demons and malevolent took this opportunity to raise hell. They wanted to control the land for reasons we would never know. Much speculation would say that they are just hungry for power but there are also others who believed that it was because they wanted revenge for some desecration of the ancient lands. But who knows?_

_Anyway, the town's people were preparing their candle boats to see it in the river. To guide some lost spirits to the other side, to close the festivities of the day. But as it was a solemn time, that was when the demons came out of the shadows and raised hell. All men, women and children were out paying their respects to their departed loved ones and were on their way home when it all happened. _

_It was termed as 'the apocalypse'. No one was safe. No one was spared. Capable men fought the demons so that people to enter the safety of their homes or the temple. Screams and wailing filled the air. It was chaos. Every where you look, there was blood. Every inch of the streets were stained with them. There were falling, decapitated bodies every where. They didn't know that the candles that they had lit for the souls of the dead were for themselves. _

_Women were being violated. Children burned to death. Men were being torn apart. It was pure horror and vile. Bodies eaten and desecrated. No one died quickly. All were made to suffer. Those who made it to their houses or temples weren't spared from the sound of the horror happening beyond their walls and sanctity of the holy temple. No one wanted to look back. No one spoke. Every one tried to comfort each other. _

_At the temple, my great, great grandfather was head priest. He prayed for salvation. But as the screams grew louder and graver, he made a split second decision to go out there and help fight against the evil spirits, the demons plaguing the small village. He was prepared to die. He didn't expect to return. But as he gathered his talismans and holy staff, a light came from behind him. He then saw a pillar of light come from the Mystic Moon and a young woman appeared. _

_He was stunned by her beauty, slightly forgetting what was happening. The young woman just smiled at him and extended a hand. Without saying a word, my great, great grandfather took her hand. She led him outside and to the middle of hell. Together, guided by the power of the Mystic Moon, they drove away evil from the village and saved as many people as they could. After, the young woman was given a choice, to return home or stay. She knew that the massacre that had happened will happen again. So she decided to stay. She and my great, great grandfather married and vowed to protect the village. That was when they learned that the delicate balance of the forces were broken. To restore that balance, my great, great grandmother opted to stay and performed a ritual to return things as they were. The balance was restored and since then, my family came to guard that balance and protect the village._

_Some people's fears were never erased and looked at my great, great grandmother with much suspicion. There were some who believed that she had caused it all. I guess that was also passed from one generation to another. People tend to fear what they do not understand. People can be that closed minded. But there are much good people in the village who want nothing but peace. That's all every body ever wanted. So even if our family was criticized, we uphold our promise and our duty. _

_Given the power of the Mystic Moon, much is expected._

(to be continued…)

**Just as I've said, this is the more detailed version of my story 'S.T.A.R.' Hope you guys stick around to find out what's next. We all know how it will all end but still it would be really nice to get to know everything that happened in between. Don't hold back on the reviews please. Thanks. Peace.**

**Michiko **


	2. Lonely

The Assignment

Chapter 2 Lonely

_It gets lonely because your family can really be protective or that other people will just like you, not really for who you are but because of what you are. You make friends but you're afraid to tell them some of your feelings because of what they might think or that they might believe it's an omen. Then, you might think that everyone is your friend because of your background but there are others who think ill of us. I'm not certain why but I wouldn't want to judge them. Some people say that they are jealous. Still others, they want the power we have. But there are some who believe that they are threatened by us and think that we might just turn against the village. I guess that's the forces of good and evil working right there. A balance so delicate that it threatens to tilt to one side if we weren't careful, which eventually happened…I guess it had to happen some time._

_It's really hard for someone like me who had lived in the village my entire life and belonging to the family that I was born into to have a normal life. Like I said, you have to learn how to live with all kinds of people and what they think about you, no matter how good or bad their intentions are. Amidst all of these, my grandmother made sure that we were all of noble character and always followed the path of righteousness. After all, we served at the temple. _

_We were a close family. But I was closest to my grandmother. She was the one who understood above everyone what I was going through and what I needed to do. She was my role-model. We would have special sessions together that helped me harness the power I have inherited. When I'm with my grandmother, that would only be the time that I would feel 'normal'. Do you know what I mean? I didn't feel different. It didn't really feel lonely. _

_I was in junior high and I did have friends but it's hard talking to them about the gift. They would ask but it's hard to convey what I really want to say so usually I would just change the subject. It's not that I don't trust them or anything like that. I do share some things. I was doing tarot reading too. But when it becomes very heavy or bad, I keep that to myself. Perhaps it's my duty to tell them but I chose not to because I didn't want to scare them. At that time, I haven't really perfected how to distinguish whether it was merely an individual fortune or something bigger. My grandmother always told me that if I was uncertain about things, it was better to keep it hidden or else it would bring further disaster._

_Besides, if you and your friends were just goofing off and playing, would you really want to destroy the atmosphere by telling everyone an ominous thing? Anyway, it was bad enough that you can't really enjoy a normal childhood, I really didn't want to drive away the friends I've made._

_Anyway, I've never really questioned why I was destined to have the life that I do but sometimes I found myself wondering what it would have been if things were different. I wondered if my family would still have been so protective or if people would still talk behind your back. I dreamed myself to be in a different position a lot of time but I never really wished it were real because the thought was more frightening to me than reality. That was short-lived after all. When my grandmother died, there wasn't a single second that I hadn't wished things were different. Though that's another story for later._

_I remember that as I child, in preschool, I had a hard time understanding why parents would advise their children to be careful around me. I would always ask my mom what it meant but my mom would just smile at me and say that I am special and that one day I would understand. She said it's not like the other parents were telling their kids to stay away from me. It wasn't like they didn't like me. It was more on me being special and that their children shouldn't be surprised if I say some weird things some times. _

_My mind couldn't really comprehend that at that time. I thought that it meant like I was some sort of outcast to be afraid off. Ever since then I knew that I'm different and weird, never to be allowed to be entirely like everybody else. But being children, we got along fine but it took some kids harder to adjust to me, also me to them. _

_Before high school, I was never invited for a sleep over because parents knew that dreams come at night. They wouldn't know how to handle it if I dreamt of something. But I was welcome in their homes. At day, they would treat me like any other kid, like any other teenager but I knew that they still had some reserved fear for dreams that would come. They knew the stories of the past so I can't exactly blame them. I don't even like the dreams when they come. _

_You know, people in the village like you and would treat you as someone really special and welcomed but bearing the scars of the survivors of the apocalypse, it's only natural that they would harbor this inner fear because they don't entirely understand the power of the Mystic Moon or what had happened that night. I told you about the rumor about my great, great grandmother right? Well, that fear stems from that. I guess I should harbor some hatred or anger about it because it's not my fault or the fault of my family but being raised the way we were, the values and virtues within the temple grounds prevents you from actually indulging in that._

_I never had a real friend aside from Yukari. She understood and never took my gift against me, neither did her family. Her family and mine went back generations. Our great, great grandfathers served the temple and fought together during the apocalypse. Being best friends was inevitable because ever since preschool, we always played together, hang out together. At that time, there was not a single secret of mine that she didn't know. She was the only person my age I could talk to without being afraid. _

_(to be continued…)_

**I know this is such a short chapter but if I made it any longer, you will find it really boring and it might over lap with the things supposed to be part of the next chapter. Who would want that? Hehe. I'll be updating soon. I hope you keep reading until the end. Reviews please. Thanks.**

**Michiko**


	3. Right of Passage

The Assignment

Chapter 3 Right of Passage

_But you know, not every one in our family inherits the 'gift'. It chooses the next person who will yield the power. It just so happens, that it skipped my mother's generation. The next was me. The only two people who were living then with the power were me and my grandmother. Come to think of it, it makes me miss her more. She was a very kind and gentle woman who had always a smile on her face. She loved the village and the people there. She was a very wise person too. _

_Everybody who knew her liked her. I don't think I know anyone who didn't at least respect her. She was well loved by the town for her generosity and character. She never turned away from anyone who would need her help. She welcomed anyone with open arms. Being a temple Priestess, she was humble in her actions, never wanting more than what fate has given her. We, her family, were her joy._

_Though timid and frail looking old Priestess, my grandmother yielded great power. She had perfect control over it. Delicate and very gentle, people could easily forget or overlook her enormous gift just by looking at her. She never boasted about her gift. For me, as well as others, she was nothing short of amazing. Like I said, she was my role-model. She made life easy to understand for me. She taught me to appreciate what gift I was given. She taught me everything I know about the magic._

_But as certain as life, death too was certain. No one can escape from that. Actually it all began, my grandmother becoming weak due to sickness, at the time the tips of the balance were disturbed. Her age was not merciful to her and soon the angel of death took her away, while the new war was progressing._

_My grandmother, as powerful as she is, still is human. She fell ill. Given her age, it weakened her body a lot. Because of that she decided not to yield, to call her gifts because she knew that with her state, it would be easier for her to lose control over it. That was the time when our sessions were getting more frequent and intense. She may have not participated much but she trained me hard. Now that I think about it, she knew that she wasn't going to survive. _

_I didn't understand really the urgency of it all. I knew that she was sick but I always believed that she would get better. But as it went on, I started to feel why my grandmother was determined to finish my training and fast. That was when I understood that she wasn't going to be with us much longer and that what happened years ago was going to happen again to all of us. For once, I understood the gravity of it all. I need to learn how to control my gifts even if it was impossible to control all other external powers or workings. I cannot tamper with fate._

_You see, when people tend to twist fate for their own purposes, things like this (the breaking of the delicate balance of forces) are bound to happen. It will not really be them who will suffer but those closest to that person, not to mention the people whom he will be doing his cruelty to. At that time, it was Dilandau Albatou's doing with the intersession of Dornkirk, one of the oldest advisers of the village. Dilandau wanted power to rule, perhaps to satisfy his blood thirst. Dornkirk wanted to be able to see into the future, to mold the future in his hands, wanted to take away all the negative aspects in life. He failed to understand that there are always two sides and that one cannot exist without the other._

_I don't mean to speculate or anything but ever since we were kids, I felt that Dilandau Albatou was different. He had this aura that I couldn't explain to. I know that my grandmother felt it too but she never let on. She always believed that there is something good in every person. Dilandau just well acted differently. I don't know if his parents' freak murder back in the city had anything to do with it. Rumors had it in town was that young Dilandau witnessed their murders so in fear for his life, he was sent to live in the village away from the city with his great uncle Dornkirk. _

_No one really dared to ask but a dark aura really wrapped his character even when we were kids, something which only I and my grandmother could feel. I guess my grandmother was right when she said that time would reveal everything, that no truth could ever remain hidden. His true character really did come out. And as it turned out, it meant a grave nightmare for all of us._

_It took us all by surprise really. Dornkirk used what had happened to Dilandau to manipulate him to do the things he did. Dornkirk was always one of the silent, scientific elders in the community. His want to have the power of the Mystic Moon finally won out I guess. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels betrayed by him. Those two have become such a deadly combination, powerful. Their combined motives were enough to tip the balance. _

_It all happened too fast. Who would have dreamed that another apocalypse was among us? That was when I realized that all those bad dreams weren't really dreams at all. Rather, they were all premonitions…warnings of what was to happen. Perhaps, grandmother knew that too but opted to not say anything so that I would learn it on my own, to learn and trust my intuition like she had been telling me._

_(to be continued…)_

**Short chapter I know but if I continued this, a chapter might be erased and this fiction would be shortened. Hehe. Please review though. I hope you guys are enjoying this. Thanks guys.**

**Michiko**


	4. New Apocalypse

The Assignment

Chapter 4 New Apocalypse

_I still didn't have complete control over my gifts then. My grandmother was still teaching me when it all began. I still wish that things didn't have to turn out like that but that is just how fate works. You can't dictate anything to it. You can only let it work out the plan to make us the people whom we ought to be. _

_It seemed that since the scale has been tipped, the negative spirits came and was at Dilandau's disposal. Fear and despair filled the village. When the sun would start to set, I remember hearing and witnessing people drop everything and run within the safety of their homes, lock their doors and close everything. No light can be seen every where. It is believed that when you light a candle, it is supposed to guide a lost soul to the next life. But since everything was out of order, it only invited the evil spirits in. They would then suck your life away from you. They take away your essence by feeding on your fear and desperation. That is if you are lucky. If Dilandau happens to come along or if it isn't a spirit but rather a demon, unspeakable things are done not only to you but to your family. Yes. I've seen and heard villagers, friends being murderer and torn into pieces. It was terrifying and gruesome. _

_From then on, I understood what it meant to be in hell. We were living it. No one was spared. Everyone suffered. I was struggling to control my powers but I still went out there with my grandmother at night to help pacify what was happening. I've never seen so much blood in my life until that first day. I remember vomiting behind a tree when I first stumbled on a dead body. _

_That face will haunt me forever. I knew him. He was a local fisherman. His throat was slit three times. I saw claw marks all over his body. His left arm and leg were missing. It seemed to be ripped off viciously. His eyes were still open. They were petrified and froze in that expression when death came. I don't remember screaming but I think I did. I fell over him. His blood stained my lower extremities and my clothes. Blood was everywhere._

_The world seemed to stop and go in slow motion. Terror crept up in every inch of my being. I was terrified. I think tears even escaped my eyes. I don't know. I'm not sure if it were tears or blood. All I know is that my face was damp. _

_Nearby I saw the man's wife being ravaged by now one but three demons. They gutted her alive. They were ruthless. They killed her son before killing her. They savored the taste of blood. They finally noticed my presence and suddenly charged at me. It was stunned. I found myself unable to move. I closed my eyes instinctively, waiting for either their teeth or claws to penetrate my flesh. But it didn't come because my pendant shone brightly and drove them off. I lost consciousness after that._

_No dream had ever prepared me for what I saw that night. People were dying and it was real. It wasn't some cruel practical joke that could easily be erased or solved. It was the death reaper coming to get as many souls as it could. I didn't see Dilandau that night. Nothing can prepare you for something like that. Nothing. _

_From then on my grandmother rarely smiled. I shared her feelings. Who can have the strength to smile after seeing things like that? Whenever Yukari would tell me that everything was going to be alright and that I just have to keep on believing, it took every ounce of my strength to keep my mouth shut of what I have seen. I know she had heard the chaos outside the temple and had seen the remnants of the night before. She had heard stories too. But it was different being actually there._

_  
it was extreme torture for me to go to school in the morning with the others, trying to live a false life, free from violence brought by the night. It was hard to look at the class diminish day in and day out. You don't know who will still be alive the next day to attend class. It was unbearable witnessing all those gore and horror from the night before and setting it aside to take up another personality for school. _

_No one wanted to ask me what I have seen but when a student or two get the courage to do ask, I would force a smile and say that when there is darkness, they should never forget that there was also light. I would then quickly change the subject, a much lighter one to keep the spirit of everyone up, hopefully, including myself. _

_It took a lot from everyone, myself included. I was tired all the time. Nothing seemed real anymore. My heart was heavy all the time. I kept to myself most of the time because seeing the faces of people, visions would come of the night before. I would hurry home as to not have the chance to be asked more details about what happened during the darkness of the night. Actually, no one stayed after 5 pm. Every one would drop what they were doing and would go home or stay within the temple. This became our lives during that time._

_(to be continued…)_

**This chapter has been a bit all about gore and horror. I hope that you are of age and strong of guts to have opted to read this. I was having goose bumps while writing this chapter. Even if it is short, I think it got the message / picture out there already. Besides, I didn't want to have to think of anything horrid anymore. Less detailed gore on the next chapters I promise. That's what I want coz like I don't want to have nightmares because of this. Hehe. Please review. Thanks.**

**Michiko**


	5. Van Slanzar de Fanel

The Assignment

Chapter 5 Van Slanzar de Fanel

_I would weep bitterly and wished that I could control my powers more effectively. Luckily, not only was my grandmother still there but also Van. Yes. Like I said, wee have known each other for a very long time. He came to live in the village when his parents died a long time ago. His brother had suffered the same fate as other villagers when he tried to save a little girl. He gave his life for her, for every one. Van fought along side us to return the balance._

_It had been at least a year and a half years since Van came to live in the village with Folken when it all happened. They moved together with their guardian, Balgus. Van had a harder time adjusting compared to Folken. I remember the first time I've seen Van. They had just moved to town and he and Folken started school. Van belonged to the same class I did. He was introduced to all of us and from the back of the room, I could tell that he possessed a strong aura, a little different from your average person. _

_Our teacher asked him to occupy the vacant seat next to me. As he came to take his seat, I looked up and gave him a smile. I said, "Welcome. I hope you won't find this place bad." He just returned a small smile as he took his seat. From the corner of my eye, I knew that he looked at me. I didn't know at that time that he had felt my aura. Whether it was because of our mutual acknowledgement of each other's power that made it easier or harder for us to open up to each other, I will never really know._

_It felt kinda nice to finally meet someone who also had a secret similar to mine. But at the same time, there was also a little apprehension in my part because I've never know someone like me aside from the grandmother. I guess I had trouble opening up to him at first. I can say he was the same. It was easier for me to get close with his brother. I guess that's because Folken was a little more outgoing and understanding than Van at that time._

_But it didn't take long. Van and I became close. I guess I found in him a confidant of the things I could never tell Yukari, my real feelings, my thoughts brought about the gift, that sort of thing. As I confided in him, he also would confide in me. Being around Folken, Van and Yukari, it felt that for the first time, I belonged and that I wasn't so different. _

_It was the next night when we were all called to duty. Balgus, Folken and Van met me and my grandmother at the temple. They didn't have to but Balgus said they were compelled by duty and honor to protect the people. I knew that I didn't have a say but if it were up to me, I didn't want them part of the carnage. I knew that if you go out there, you must be prepared to die. After all the things they went through, they deserved to live. But they were warriors and my grandmother knew that so she agreed to their proposal of joining us._

_Before leaving that night, my grandmother conducted a prayer for protection for all of us. It was the first time I heard my grandmother sound almost desperate. She even gave me ceremonial robes that showed the crest, the symbol of the Mystic Moon. Before leaving after the prayer, as I got up and turned to leave, I met Van's eyes. It was filled with so much emotion that it really was hard to decipher. _

_There were so much that we could have said to each other but we chose to say nothing. Van just followed me outside, we went out into the night, leaving childish thoughts behind forever. He knew what we were about to face. On that aspect, he was lucky but then again the trauma had come when he was younger. If he had his way, he wouldn't have me go out but he knew that there was no other way. I had to go. _

_At first we stuck together, but with the chaos that went on, we eventually got separated. To tell you the truth, I got separated from all of them. I don't know where they went but like what I've told you guys before I came upon the first dead man I've seen. The last thing I remember that night is the faces of the fisherman and his family and the coming of three demons. There was an intense light that came from my necklace and then nothing._

_When I woke up the next day, I found out that Van had found me and brought me back. I also learned that Folken was killed trying to save a young girl. Balgus was gravely wounded and was fighting for his life. Later that day, he too died. Van moved in with us that same day because he no longer had anybody at home and it was safer for him now that he too was marked by the spirits, demons and Dilandau himself. _

_Van didn't have time to grieve. No one did. Because the nearer night came, every one knew that the nightmare was going to start again. But what I admired most about Van is that even through such hardships, not once did I see him lose faith and courage. He kept going. Such strength in character and determination was something that awed me the most. He was the perfect warrior._

_(to be continued…)_

**Well guys we're nearly there. I'm giving such short chapters compared to my usual chapter length but I think that it is better this way. Hehe. I'm just pairing it to the storyline. Anyway, please do review. Thanks. We're nearly there so I hope that you see this through too. Peace.**

**Michiko**


	6. Turning Point

The Assignment

Chapter 6 Turning Point

_But my grandmother was weakening and fast. Her sickness crept slowly but surely to every bone of her body. She finally succumbed to deep, eternal slumber one fateful dawn of the third day. When the villagers learned of her death, a silence hush spread throughout the village. It seemed that all hope had died with her. I still didn't have control over my powers and Van wasn't strong enough to battle all the forces of darkness on his own. It seemed that the entire village not only mourned the loss of my grandmother but also of their own. They knew I had the gift but they didn't believe in me._

_To tell you the truth, when she died, I felt that I died with her and I was nothing but a mere shell. I didn't know what to do. I was afraid of my gifts because I knew that if I screwed up, it would mean not only my life but the entire village, or perhaps the whole world. Can you take it all when you're only fourteen? Fate was cruel to me. It gave me a gift I cannot control and a responsibility so great._

_Van was my strength during this time. We would go out and fight but it was him who did all the fighting. He told me that tears wouldn't help. It would only make my grandmother sad from where she was now. He said I had to get up and fight. He said that it didn't matter if I haven't gotten my powers under control yet as long as I fought with everything I had. He reminded me that there are far more important things that my fear and my despair. He gave me back my courage._

_I fell into the grips of darkness. I was losing my life. I was ready to give in. It only the two of us left to fight, me and Van. There was no question about Van's strength. It was more a question on mine. People learned to believe in him because of the things he had shown. But they did not learn to trust in me. No matter what I did, it was hard to live up to the standards that my grandmother had set. They wanted to see her in me. They wanted me to be her. That was the most devastating, impossible task that they had given me._

_The third night of the third day, just hours after my grandmother died, Van and I went out when darkness came to try and pacify as much as we can. That was my first encounter with Dilandau. There were far more demons and spirits that came that night. Van and I had no choice but to part ways to cover more ground. _

_That was when Dilandau cornered me and I had to face him. He was no longer the Dilandau that I knew. He was worse. He had become one of them. He had blood all over him. At that time, I didn't even want to think whose blood it was but he was the one who said that it was Dornkirk's. He had killed Dornkirk before heading off to the open, to the village. He wasn't human. _

_Dilandau charged at him with the full force of darkness. It was overwhelming I can tell you that. I was about to fight back when a saw a young boy running with his younger brother and sister in either of his hands, dragging them to get away from those that pursued them. That split second, I forgot Dilandau and helped the children by wrapping my aura at them and instructed the eldest boy to head the temple quickly. But Dilandau did not hesitate. I felt the full force of black magic hit me at the back. I was down but alive. Dilandau hovered near me, waiting to finish me off._

_I was waiting for it. But Van came and stopped him. My vision was becoming fuzzy so I'm not sure of the things that took place. Everything was just happening so fast. My mind tried to comprehend everything but the blackness of the power that hit me was like a vicious poison running through my veins. After what seemed like forever, I felt Van beside me. At first I couldn't make out what he was saying._

_But Van uttered words at that moment that made me come back. Van became my salvation. The words he uttered, words that I would never forget are, "Hitomi, we can't expect things to go perfectly and we can't expect things to get done if we don't do something about it. Get up! I believe in you! When my parents and brother died, I was nothing. You showed me that there are still things to live for. Don't turn your back on that now! I am with you! I will not leave you! I need you to be here by my side so don't you even dare to give up. I won't let you!" He took me into his arms and I could feel his hot tears flowing from his eyes to my cheeks. He was desperate to get me back. He was desperate. It wasn't his words I heard but his heart. I've never known Van to cry. I never saw him like that, so desperate and determined. _

_Van was able to bring me back. With his help, I was able to neutralize the dark power suffocating me. With his help, I was able to find life. He believed in me. He didn't want me to give up. He needed me. I thought that maybe if I can't live for me, I will try to live for Van, my fallen comrades, my grandmother and the people who are in deep trouble. _

_(to be continued…)_

**Ok guys this is the shortest chapter yet I think. It's nearly the end. So please be patient and wait to see the closing chapter of this fan fiction. Please review. Thanks.**

**Michiko**


	7. The Assignment

The Assignment

Chapter 7 The Assignment

_Soon I found myself crying in his arms. He just wrapped his arms around me and comforted me. He then whispered in my ear, "I am with you now, Hitomi. I will stand by you and I will fight for you and this village. If you still believe that you can't do it on your own, then believe in me. Believe that together we can make things right." I pulled away from him and nodded. That was when I learned of his secret. He was the last of the Draconian race who yields the spirit of the dragon, Escaflowne. _

_My training, my grandmother's words and teachings, my confidence, my faith, it all came crashing back to me. For once, I trusted my capabilities and I believed in me. With Van, we fought Dilandau. Before the sun rose the next morning, we had earned the right to tame the negative spirits of the land and return peace to the land. Together, we have also earned the right to make a decision for the safe-keeping of the balance. We erased all the people's knowledge about my family, the Mystic Moon, the dragon, the darkness and everything that has got to do with magic. The village still holds the tales and beliefs, but now it only remains in folklore and nothing more. Now in silence we stand guard, it was better this way._

_After erasing all the people's memories, we graduated from junior high. I told Van that I had sought the permission of my parents to study in Tokyo for high school and university. He just smiled at me and said that he will accompany me since there was nothing left for him in the village. So it was decided that we were both going to Tokyo to study, make better of ourselves. I still go back during holidays. The first time was the hardest because of all the memories but at least Van was with me and it made it easier. _

_I never thought we would live through what we did, all our loses, all our hardships. I never thought I'd be here in Tokyo studying high school, being a normal teenager who experiences crushes and being in a steady relationship and going through life. I never thought I would make a dream come true. I thought that I would always wait for dreams to come. Now the future is endless. I don't need to take a peak into it to tell that everything in this world will continue on its course. _

_It's been two years. The life I have now and the life I have back then are worlds apart. I don't regret moving on and finding the rawness life can bring you day after day. I made a choice to keep moving forward, to look back every once in a while to remember the lessons I've learned to make a better future. At sixteen you don't really expect yourself to talk like this. But I guess after going through everything, it's inevitable. When I finish high school, I plan to go to college and study to become a doctor. I know, I know. With the visions and all it would be a very emotionally straining life but I think and believe that I can make a difference with that. At least when I return to the village, I can serve the people more than just being Hitomi Kanzaki. I'd be a doctor then. Van and my family support my decision. Van plans to take up law. He said that defending people has grown in him. Maybe it's not as physical as before but still it is still in the line of defending. Cool huh?_

_As for me and Van, we are enjoying each other's company. We don't exactly know where this will take us but we know that we will always be there for each other no matter what happens. I don't know if you really got something from this but I'm sure you will now think that you are lucky. There are far worse things that could happen in this world. You are lucky you are not one of them. You have friends and family, so much to live for just like me. Just believe in yourself. There is magic everywhere you look and inside of you. Never lose sight of that. You can make a difference if you believe. And if you can't believe in yourself or if it seems that the whole world is against you and no one believes in you, think again. There will always be a person who will believe in you and will push you to achieve greatness. You just have to keep a look out like I did with Van._

_Take care and be safe. You are protected, now and forever so live your life._

"Well, what do you think Van? I wrote this in about I don't know three hours." Hitomi said as Van finished reading her manuscript. Van eyed the piece and then at Hitomi. "Is that why you look like you haven't slept at all?" "Come on Van. Like that matters." "What time did you sleep anyway, if you even slept?" "2 am." Hitomi answer, still quite anxious about what Van was to say. Van eyed her so Hitomi finally said, "Ok,ok. I slept at 5 am." "You know you shouldn't deprive yourself of sleep like that." He said. "I know." She answered, still quite anxious on what he thought about the story.

Van took a deep breath. He looked at Hitomi lovingly and a little uneasy. "Are you sure you want the world, or at least the class to know this? I mean it's quite detailed, not to mention all the blood and gore that comes with it." Hitomi laughed. "Whose going to tell them it's all real? Our assignment was to write a story. That's it. Plain and simple. The teacher didn't say it had to be non-fiction. Besides, those little details doesn't say anything but rather to them it will seem like a spice to attract readers." Van was still a little uneasy.

Hitomi just wrapper her arms around her boy friend's neck. She knew that he was only thinking of her, only her. She planted a small kiss on his lips and said, "The truth will always be our secret. All they need to know is that this is an assignment. Do you really think they will believe this to be a non-fictional thing?" Van just smiled at her. "No. They wouldn't. They would just think that the girl who plays around with tarot cards has an active imagination, fitting for someone like her and that she not only possesses the power to guess into the future and capture a certain someone's heart, but she can also write something that can make you believe and actually be engulfed into a story, passing it as real." Hitomi just giggled as Van wrapped his arms around her and kissed her.

THE END

**It's over and done with. It was a great journey to take with you. I hope you enjoyed it. I did even if it brought me out of my comfort zone in terms of writing the storyline. But you know, I think it's worth it because you get to discover something you never thought you are capable of. I guess this whole fiction has that effect really, especially on me. Well anyway, it was really nice and real. Please do review and I hope to get to be with you guys again on another journey. Peace and take care. **

**Michiko**


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